Slicing machine



Nov. 6, 1923.

1,472,838 5. T. HOYT SLICING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 6, 1923. I 1,472,838 s. T. HOYT SLIGING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 S. T. HOYT SLICING MACHINE Nov. 6

Filed Feb. 5, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov. 6, W23.

SIMES T. HOYT, F HONOLULU, TERRITORY OF HAWAII, ASSIGNOB: TO HAWAHAN PINEAPPLE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF HONOLULU,

' HAWAII.

HAWAII, A CORPORATION OF SLICING MACHINE.

Application filed February 3, 1923. Serial No. 8163M.

To alZwlzomz'tmay concern:

Be it known thatjI, Snuns T. HoY'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Honolulu, in the Territory of Hawaii, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slicing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a machine for slicing articles, such as fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuffs, and has for its object to provide a simple, efficient, and economical apparatus adapted to receive the articles in succession, feed them individually to a head having a hollow or arcuate face intersected by a series of slots, which slots receive a series of parallel spaced knives which intersect the arcuate face of the head in chord-like arrangement, said head being pivoted at one transverse edge and being provided with a seat adjacent the pivoted edge to receive the articles to be sliced and to force the articles against the knives and out said articles into slices of uniform thickness, when the head is moved toward the knives, the machine being provided with means for oscillating the head, retaining the head in stationary position during the feeding operation, and means for feeding the articles to be sliced successively to the head,

as will be more particularly pointed out in 85 the annexed specification, predicated on the accompanying drawings, in WhlCl1,-

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the apparatus, certain parts being omitted for the purpose of clearness;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 1, represent the side members of a suitable frame or support for the apparatus, provided with suitable cross-connecting members 2, 2. Disposed transversely of the frame in a plane at an angle to the horizontal is a knife holding frame comprising side members 3 and 4, and end members 5 and 6, the latter of which are bolted to inclined seats or flanges formed on the main frame, as indicated in Fig. 1. Extending between the bars 5 and 6 of the knife frame, is a series of thin bladed, knives 11 having their cut-.

ting edges uppermost. knives 11 are held rigidly in position by specialtensioning devices including pins 16 engaging holes in the lower ends of the knlves and resting in slots on the rear faces of lugs 10 projecting from the frame memher 6, the upper end of each knife being secured in a clevis 12 having a screw-threaded stem 13 extending through an opening in the cross-bar 5,each of the screw threaded stems being provided with a nut 14 by means of which the proper tension may be applied to the corresponding knife. Inasmuch as the knives are spaced at relatively close intervals, and the several clevises 13 must be made sufficiently strong to endure relatively heavy strains, provision is made for allowing relatively large clevises by disposing the openings in the cross bar 5 in staggered relation, as clearly indicated in the several figures of the drawings. This also admits of a ready and accurate adjustment of the tension of the knives, as it allows sufficient space between the adjusting nuts 1 1 to admit of the application of a wrench to any individual nut. As thus constructed, the series of knives and their supporting frame constitutes a unitary device which may be quickly applied to and removed from the frame of the machine, thereby facilitating adjustment, replacement, or repair of the parts.

(Jo-operating with the knives 11 is a head 20, which is preferably formed as a casting, substantially arc-shaped in longitudinal cross-section, and provided with a series of spaced slots 21 extending longitudinally of the head between the points marked as and y in Fig. 1, each of said slots 21 receiving one of the knives 11, each knife occupying the oo-operating slot in the relation particularly illustrated in Fig. 1, the knife constituting, in effect, the chord of the are upon which the curved head 20 is formed. It will be noted that each of the knives lies within the corresponding slot in the head at all times, so that the slotted surface acts as a means for preventing twisting of the knives during the cutting operation, and enables the knives to be made comparatively thin. The head 20 is pivoted in bearings 23 on the cross bars 2, by means of pintles 24, to permit the head to be rocked or oscillated toward and from the. knives. .Adjacent the pivotal edge.

x The individual of thehead 20, the inner faceof the latter is provided with a concave seat 27 adapted to receive the articles to be sliced. This seat extends entirely across the head, and is, of course, intersected by the slots 21 in the head, said seat in the position of rest on the head, when the articles are fed into the latter, being above the plane of the knives 11, as indicated in Fig. 1. \Vhen the head has been turned to its other extreme position, it will be noted that the seat'27 lies entirely below the plane of the knives 11, so that any articles carried on the seat 27 will be moved bodily over the cutting edges of the knives, and the knives will be forced com pletely through the article, dividing the same into slices of practically uniform thickness, all of the slices being ultimatelyv cleared of the knives when the head is rotated to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

It will be understood, of course, that the head moves first toward, and then away from, the knives, with an oscillatory movement to effect the slicing of the articles and the return of the head to charging position,

. which latter must be retained for a sufiicient time to enable the next article to be fed into proper position on the seat 27. To 'efiect each complete oscillation and the following period of rest of the head 20, any suitable operating means may be provided, and a simple and effective device for this purpose.

is in the form of a cylinder 30 fixed to ashaft 33 'jour'nalled in bearings 34 and 35 in the frame members 1, 1, said cylinder being provided on its peripheral face with a reverse cam groove 31 extending through 180 ofthe cylindrical surface. which is connected by a groove section 32 parallel with the end of the cylinder. Engaging the continuous cam groove constituted by the members 31 and 32 is a pin 26, secured to the end of an arm 25, which constitutes an extension of the head 20. The shaft 33 carrying the cam member 30 is provided with a relatively large pinion 60, which meshes with the small pinion 62 mounted upon the cross shaft '63 journalled in bearings on cross members 7 of the main frame. Said shaft 63 also carries a large pinion 61 which is in mesh with a pinion 64, which may be driven by any suitable means.

The machine as thus described is preferably provided with means for automatically feeding articles to be sliced in proper sequential order and timed relation to the seat 27 of the head 20. To effect this object, the machine is provided with a suitable support to receive an individual article, which is located adjacent and in substantial alignment with the seat 27 when the head 20 is in a position of rest, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Preferably this support is in the form of a short trough 81, which is provided with carried by the trough or support 81, and at an open bottom near its forward end. Mounted on the side frame 1 and laterally of the head 20, is an auxiliary frame 41 carrying two parallel guide bars 40, 40, upon which is slidably mounted a cross head 7 42. The lower sleeve of the cross head engaging the lower guide bar is preferably provided with stutfing boxes or the like 48, carrying suitable packing by means ofwhich the amount of friction between the cross 7 head and the guide bars may be accurately regulated and adjusted for a purpose hereinafter described. Journalled in a transverse bearing in the cross head 42 is a crank provided with an upward extension 43 8 adapted to engage spaced-abutments 44, 44, on the upper-member of the cross head. The end of the crank 45 on the inside of the frame 41 is provided with a feed arm 47 having a lateral extension 46, which overlies 8 the support or trough 81, to which the articles to be sliced are delivered one at a time. The lower end of the crank 45 is pivotally connected to a pitman 50, which in turn is connected to the upper end of a 9 rock lever 51 pivoted at 52 to the lower end of the adjacent side frame. Motion is imparted to the rock lever 51 by means of a pit-man 53 connected at one end to the midsection of the rock lever, and at the other 9 end to a crank pin 54 mounted in the face of pinion 60.

It will be noted that as the rock lever 51 is moved outward from the position shown in Fig. 2, the first operation will be 1 to rock crank 45 until the extension 43 engages the left-hand abutment 44 on the cross head. This will cause the feed arm 47 to be depressed until the angular arm 46 thereof drops behind the article resting in the trough or support 81. The continued outward movement of the rock lever 51 will move the cross head and the crank and feed arm carried-thereby, to the right, until the article in trough 81 is moved wholly w hin the head 20 and rests on the table 27. therein. This operation is effected during the period of rest of the head 20 and while the pin 26 occupies the section 32 of the cam groove. In order to ensure the downward movement of the feed arm 47, prior to the initiation of the sliding movement of the cross head 42, an amount of friction is imposed between the cross head and the lower guide rod 40 by adjusting stufling boxes 48 so as to require more power to move the cross head than to swing the crank 45. When the rock lever 51 has been moved to its outer position and begins its return movement, the first effect of the latter is to swing the crank 45 to the left until the extension 43 engages the righthand abutment 44 on the cross head, thereby elevating the feed arm, so that the lateral extension 46 thereof will clear any article the end of the reverse movement of the cross head, the lateral member 46 of the feed, arm

will lie above and to the rear of the next.

article to be fed into the head.

The machine is also preferablyprovided with automatic means for delivering the articles to the trough or support. 81 in proper position to be fed by the feed arm onto the table 28 within the head 20. To effect this object, there is provided near the front of the machine an auxiliary frame 70, upon which is mounted a suitable conveyor, comprising a chain flight 82 running over a sprocket wheel 74 loosely mounted on the shaft 71, which latter is driven b a chain engagin asprocke-t 72 on said s aft, said chain a so being enga ed with a sprocket wheel 36 on the cam s aft 33 of the main machine. The upper reach of the chain flight 82 operates in an open bottom trough 80, adapted to receive the articles to be sliced from any suitable source, and said chain is provided at intervals with dogs 83, which engage the articles and move the same aiong the trough and ultimately push the articles successively onto the trough or support 81 in position to be fed into the head, as hereinbefore described. It will be understood that the feed chain 82 must be operated in a properly timed relation to the operation of the feed arm 47 ,so that the articles will be delivered to the support or trough 81 in proper s uence and at the proper time intervals td be acted upon by said feed arm. A suitable means for timing the operation of the conveyor is illustrated in the drawings, and comprises a gear wheel rigidly attached to the sprocket wheel 74, a gear 76 keyed to the shaft 71 upon WlllCh said gear 75 and the sprocket 74 are loosely mounted, the gear 75 being of somewhat-less diameter than gear 76. The gears 7 5 and 76 meslrwith two gears 77 and 78 respectively, rigldly connected together and mounted upon the countershaft 79, the diameter of the gear 77 being somewhat greater than that of 78. This arrangement of gearing ensures the driving of the sprocket 74 ata speed slightly greater than that of the shaft 71, the speed of which latter is directly proportional to that of the cam shaft 33 which operates the head 20, thereby causing the dogs 83 on the chain 82 to move at a proper rate in time with the strokes of the slicer and the feeding device.

Also mounted on the shaft 71 is a drum 95 which operates a belt conveyor 91, the two reaches of which pass below the knives 11, the lower reach being guided over :a pulley.

92, as shown in Fig. 2, to cause the said lower.

reach to clear the mechanism of the machine. The upper reach of the conveyor beltlis adapted to receive the slices of the articles and to convey them to any suitable point of disposal. H

In the figures of the drawings, the. machine is shown in the osition in which an article to be sliced has con delivered to the support 81 and is ready to be fed on to the table 2': oi the head 20. The Shaft 33 and gear 60 rotating in a clockwise direction cause pitman 53, to swin rock lever 51 to the right, as illustrated in Fig. 2, thereby causing pitman 50 to rock crank 45 until the extension 43 thereon engages ,the left hand abutment 44 on the cross head 42. This causes the feed arm 47 to move downward until the angular arm 46 thereof passes behind. the article on support 81. The continued movement of the rock lever pulls the cross head 42 to the right, and with it the feed arm 47, which forces, the article completely within the head 20 and onto the table 27 therein. When the shaft 33 has made a half-revolution, the rock arm 51 begins its return movement, the first efi'ect of which is to swing crank 45 until the extension 43 engages the right-hand abutment 44, thereby again elevating the outer end 46 of the feed arm 47. The continued movement of the rock arm moves'the cross head to the position shown in Fig. 2, and the feed arm is again in position to engage the next succeeding article, which has been fed onto the support 81 by the feed chain 82. At or about the time the rock arm begins its return movement, and when the article has been properly positioned within the head 20, the pin 26 on arm 25 of the head passes into the inclined section 31 of the cam 30 and the head is swung on its pivot 24 toward the left, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby causing the article carried by the head to be pressed against the knives and moved along the latter to effect a clean draw out, the

knives ultimately passing entirely through the article and the latter being cleared of the knives and dropped, in the form of slices of uniform width, on to the upper reach of the conveyor 91, whence the slices are delivered to the place desired. This slicing operation is efiected during a quarterrevolution of the shaft 33 and cam 30, and during the succeeding quarter-revolution, the head is returned to its initial position by the reverse curved portion of the cam section 31, and the head is ready to receive another article to be sliced. During the next one-half revolution of the cam 30, the head 20 is held stationary, as here-inbefore explained, which affords ample time for the succeeding article to be fed onto the table27 within the head. f I

As illustrated is the drawings, the. machine is employed for slicing pineapples which have been previously cored, sized and trimmed, so that each fruit is in the form of a cylinder having a longitudinal perforation 'therethrough. It will be unarticle that are more or less re knives to first receive and then to force the articles against the knives to slice said articles into multiple sections and clear the sections from the knives.

2. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives, an are shaped head having slots therein through which the knives extend longitudinally, means for feeding articles to be sliced endwise into and transversely of the head, and means for moving the head toward and from the knives to first receive and then to force the articles against the knives to slice said articles into multiple sections and clear the sections from the knives.

3. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel s aced knives, an are shaped head pivoted elow said knives and having slots therein through which said knives extend longitudinally, means for feeding articles to be sliced endwise into and transversely of the head, and means for moving the head toward and from the knives to first receive and then to force the articles against the knives to slice said articles into multiple sections and clear the sections from the knives.

4. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives, a head having an are shaped face an article receiving seat thereon and longitudinal slots through which the knives extend, means for oscillating the head toward and from the knives to force the articles against the knives to slice said articles into multiple sections and clear the sections from the knives,and means for feeding articles endwise onto the seat in the head.

5. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives, a head having a hollow face and slots through which the knives extend longitudinally, means for feeding articles to be sliced endwise into and transversely of the head, means for oscillating the head relatively to the knives to first receive and then to force the articles against the knives to slice said articles into multiple sections and clear the sections from the knives, and a conveyor below the knives to receive the slices.

6. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives, an are shaped head pivoted below said knives and having slots through which the knives extend longitudinally, a rotary cam engaging said head to oscillate the latter toward and from the knives, and hold said head stationary during the feeding operation, means for feeding articles into said head, and means for operating the cam and the feeding means in properly timed relation.

7. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives, an are shaped head pivoted below said knives and having slots through which the knives extend longitudinally, a rotary cam engaging said head to oscillatethelatter toward and from the knives and hold said head stationary during the feeding operation, means for feeding articles into said head, means for operating the cam and the feeding means in properly timed relation, and a conveyor be low the knives to receive the slices.

8. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives disposed at an angle to the horizontal, an are shaped head pivoted below said knives, said head havmg a. series of slots therein embracing the knives and a transverse article receiving seat, a rotary cam engaging said head to oscillate the latter toward and from the knives, and hold said head stationary during the feeding operation, means for feeding articles into said head, and means for operating the cam and the feeding means in properly timed relation.

9. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives, an are shaped head having an article receiving seat and a series of slots through which said knives extend longitudinally, a pivotal support for said head below the said knives, a rotary cam for oscillating said head transversely of the plane of said knives and maintaining said head stationary during part of the rotation of the cam, an article receiving support opposite the position of rest of the seat in the head, and means for feeding articles from said support to said seat including a horizontally reciprocating and vertically oscillating pusher arm and mechanism for effecting properly timed operation between the cam and the pusher arm.

10. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives, an are shaped head having an article receiving seat and a series of slots through which said knives extend longitudinally, a pivotal support for said head below the said knives, a rotary cam for oscillating said head transversely of the plane of said knives and maintaining said head stationary during part of the rotation of the cam, an article receiving support opposite the position of rest of the seat in the head, a cross head slidably mounted at one side of the machine, an angular pusher arm pivoted to said cross head and overlying said support, a crank arm fixed to the pivot of said pusher arm, stops on the cross head to limit the movement of the crank arm in either direction, and means for first rocking the crank arm and pusher arm and then sliding the cross head. i

11. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives, an are shaped head pivoted belowthe knives and having slots through which the knives extend longitudinally, means for moving said head back and forth transversely of the plane of the knives and holding the head stationary during the feeding period, and means for feed: ing articles into the head above the knives.

12. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives, an are shaped head pivoted below the knives and having slots through which the knives extend longitudinally, means for moving said head back and forth transversely of the plane of the knives and holding the head stationary during the feeding period, a support adjacent the feeding position of the head, and means co-operating with said support for moving articles from the support into the head.

13. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel sp aoed knives, an. are shaped head pivoted below the knives and having slots continuously engaged by the knives, means for feedin" articles to be sliced be tween the inner ace of the head and the knives, and means for oscillating the head transversely of the plane of the knives.

14. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives, an are shaped head VV-pivoted below the knives and having slots continuously engaged by the knives, means for feeding articles to be sliced between the inner face of the head and the knives, means for oscillating the head transversely of the plane of the knives, and means below the knives for receiving and conveying the sliced articles.

15. A slicing machine comprising a series of parallel spaced knives, a pivoted are shaped head having a seat normally above the plane of the knives, said head having a series of slots continuously engaged by the knives, means for feeding articles to the seat, and means for oscillating said head trans versely of the" plane of the knives.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SIMES T. HOYT. 

